After lingering for a while, Sonny decided to head back home. He already had his Esper ID, so there was no reason to stay at the Association any longer.
There was also the matter of the academy, since he had left suddenly without informing anyone. Fortunately, Christopher assured him that the Association would take responsibility and make sure the school was aware of his situation. Still, Sonny worried about the attention his new transformation would inevitably attract, so he instructed the executive officer to ensure the school kept his identity as an Esper completely confidential.
In the end, his concerns proved unnecessary. Experienced Espers, especially those working for the Awakened Association, had plenty of experience in handling newcomers.
But what about his childhood friends? He had told them everything, so keeping secrets now would feel strange. On second thought, concealing his status as an Esper was probably for the best, for a multitude of reasons.
With a weary sigh, Sonny drew the key from his pocket and unlocked the door to his house unceremoniously.
Stepping inside, an air of familiarity assaulted him without delay. The living room was modest but tidy, bathed in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun streaming through the wide windows. Bookshelves lined one wall, filled with novels, textbooks, and a few well-worn manga volumes, their spines faded from years of use.
A comfortable sofa sat near the center, a soft blanket draped over one arm, evidence of recent use. A low coffee table bore a scattering of papers, a half-finished cup of tea, and a small, carved wooden figure that Sonny had picked up during a trip years ago. The kitchen beyond was simple but functional, with clean counters, a small potted plant on the windowsill, and the refrigerator made a faint 'hum' sound every now and then.
Despite the simplicity, the house carried a sense of history.
Every corner told a story and every object contained memories within them. Sonny allowed himself a small, imperceptible smile, feeling the comfort of this ordinary place, a stark contrast to the extraordinary reality he now inhabited.
Then that smile soon disappeared as though it never existed at all.
He dropped his bag by the door, removed his shoes, and finally sank onto the sofa, letting the weight of the day settle into his shoulders.
"Ugh. I'm completely exhausted. Today was something else."
Out of nowhere, he had been infected by the Mire and awakened as an Esper, a process he never wanted to endure again. His ordinary life and daily routine had been thrown into complete disarray.
"First things first. I need to make something to eat, then I'll deal with everything else."
Sonny swung his legs off the sofa and trudged toward the kitchen. He opened the fridge, scanned its contents, and let out a low groan.
There wasn't much left, just some eggs, a few vegetables, and a small packet of instant noodles. Not exactly a feast, but it would have to do.
Clicking his tongue while thinking about his lack of funds, the young Awakened pulled out what he required from the refrigerator one by one.
Sonny set a pot of water on the stove and turned on the burner. Following that, he peeled a few vegetables and cracked the eggs into a bowl, stirring them quickly. The sizzle as they hit the pan made him flinch slightly, but it was a familiar sound, grounding him.
While the food cooked, he leaned against the counter and let out a tired sigh. His mind wandered, thinking about the Mire and the changes it had brought. Even with as an Esper, life felt heavier and more complicated than before.
Wasn't his life supposed to be easier? He wondered with a pitiful expression.
The aroma of cooking food filled the kitchen, offering a small comfort. Sonny plated his simple meal and carried it to the dining table. Sitting down, he took a careful bite, letting himself enjoy the ordinary taste of home-cooked food.
A proud grin slowly crept onto his lips.
"Not bad, not bad. My cooking is still good as always. Maybe I should become a chef in the future!"
Sonny chuckled softly to himself, shaking his head at the thought. Becoming a chef was a far cry from dealing with Espers and the Mire, but for a moment, it was nice to imagine a normal life.
Actually, becoming a chef would be more preferable but there was nothing he could do about that.
He finished his meal slowly, savoring each bite, and then leaned back in his chair, rubbing his stomach. The warmth of the food spread through his whole body, easing some of the tension that had built up over the day.
Setting the empty plate aside, Sonny stood and walked over to the window. The sun had dipped lower, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. The quiet street outside looked peaceful, ordinary and completely unaware of the strange powers and dangers that now touched his life.
Now that he thought about it, how was the life of an ordinary Awakened like himself?
He imagined that it was extremely dangerous filled with nothing but danger and raiding the Tower of Worms. Needless to say, some of them never leave the tower in one piece while some did not leave the tower at all.
Would his future be like that as well?
Sonny chuckled.
"Not a chance in hell. If entering the Tower is unavoidable, then joining a Clan would be the right course of action."
The term Clan referred to a group of Espers organized around Tower-related activities such as assaults, exploration, and mining. For example, the Bright Castle, led by Bright Lord, specialized in clearing floors of the Tower. To do this safely, exploration teams needed to study the terrain, map the area, and analyze the types of creatures inhabiting each floor.
Following the floor's capture, the mining team would move in, extracting valuable resources while keeping a careful watch for any lingering threats. By this point, most of the monsters had already been eliminated, allowing them to work with minimal danger. In most cases, it was like this; efficient and relatively safe.
But accidents couldn't be avoided. There had even been an incident where a mining team had been careless while extracting minerals on a lower floor. A hidden nest of creatures had been overlooked during the exploration phase, and as the miners worked, the monsters had ambushed them. Chaos erupted, forcing the team to fight for their lives until reinforcements from the exploration squad arrived.
The incident had left several Espers injured and a small portion of the gathered resources destroyed. It was a harsh reminder that even with careful planning, the Tower was unpredictable and unforgiving. Every floor carried dangers that could strike in an instant, and a moment's lapse in attention could mean death.
How was he supposed to survive in such a battlefield without any weapons whatsoever and a questionable Ability?
Speaking of Abilities...
Curious, Sonny decided to summon the system interface again:
| Name: Nightingale
| Soul Slate: Black
| Fables: –
| Authorities: –
| Attributes: [Perception], [Tenacity], [Marksman]
| Mythic Ability: [Flatten]
| Mythic Rank: Divine †
| Mythic Description: [You can flatten small objects into a two-dimensional state.]
Without delay, the young man concentrated on the Mythic Tab.
| Mythic Ability: [Flatten]
| Mythic Rank: Divine †
| Mythic Description: [You can flatten small objects into a two-dimensional state.]
He tilted his head.
'What is this? Flatten small objects in a two-dimensional state?'
Two-dimensionality referred to the notion of existing in only two directions: length and width. Unlike the three-dimensional world where objects had depth, volume, and occupied space, a two-dimensional object had no thickness. It was essentially flat, like a drawing on paper, with no concept of "in" or "out."
In practical terms, a cube in two dimensions wouldn't be a cube at all, it would just appear as a square. A cylinder would lose its circular depth and become a rectangle. Shadows, texture, and weight didn't exist in the same way either, because all those features relied on third dimensional boundaries.
This also meant that movement and interaction were restricted along the plane. An object could stretch infinitely in length and width, but there was no room for depth. Gravity, perspective, and volume didn't behave as they did in three-dimensional space.
It was a world of pure surfaces, where the concept of thickness completely vanished. For him, grasping this idea was tricky because he had always lived in a world defined by height, width, and depth. To flatten something into two dimensions was to strip it down to its simplest, most abstract form like turning reality into a drawing on a blank canvas.
Turning reality into a... drawing?
"...?!"
Finally, when his thoughts reached this point, Sonny's eyes flashed with understanding.